The Night Stalker

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#996699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043467d1erlcll.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>YikesHorror.com</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="YikesHorror.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id264.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Horror beginning with N"><U>Horror beginning with N</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id482.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nadja"><U>Nadja</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id483.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Near Dark"><U>Near Dark</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id484.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Necronomicon"><U>Necronomicon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id485.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Nest"><U>The Nest</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id486.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="NewlyDeads"><U>NewlyDeads</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id487.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Next of Kin"><U>Next of Kin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id346.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night Angel"><U>Night Angel</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id348.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night of the Living Dead (1990)"><U>Night of the Living Dead (1990)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id349.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nightbreed"><U>Nightbreed</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id350.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night of the Zombies"><U>Night of the Zombies</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id351.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night of the Creeps"><U>Night of the Creeps</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id352.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night Nurse"><U>Night Nurse</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id353.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nightmare"><U>Nightmare</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id354.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nightmares"><U>Nightmares</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id347.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night of the Living Dead (1968)"><U>Night of the Living Dead (1968)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id371.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Nightmare on Elm Street"><U>A Nightmare on Elm Street</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id372.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddys Rev"><U>A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id373.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream W"><U>A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id374.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream M"><U>A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id375.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream C"><U>A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id376.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddys Dea"><U>A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy's Dead</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id377.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nightmare Weekend"><U>Nightmare Weekend</U></A>   |   <B>The Night Stalker</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Night Stalker</B></div> <div> <B>(Vampire/Reporter)                           9*********skulls</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1971/Color/74 Min./Magnetic Video & ABC Video Enterprises/Not Rated</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Director.........John Llewellyn Moxey</B></div> <div> <B>Screenplay.......Richard Matheson</B></div> <div> <B>Music............Robert Cobert</B></div> <div> <B>Producer.........Dan Curtis</B></div> <div> <B>Based on the Story by Jeff Rice</B></div> <div> <B>Make-up by Jerry Cash</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dramatis Personae</B></div> <div> <B>Carl Kolchak......Darin McGavin (A Christmas Story, Happy Hell Night)</B></div> <div> <B>Sheriff Butcher...Claude Akins</B></div> <div> <B>Gail Foster.......Carol Lynley</B></div> <div> <B>Vincenzo..........Simon Oakland</B></div> <div> <B>Bernie Jenks FBI..Ralph Meeker</B></div> <div> <B>Chief Masterson...Charles McGraw</B></div> <div> <B>Janos Skorzeny....Barry Atwater</B></div> <div> <B>D.A. Paine........Kent Smith</B></div> <div> <B>Makurji...........Larry Linville (MASH)</B></div> <div> <B>Mickey Crawford...Elisha Cook, Jr.</B></div> <div> <B>Fred Hurley.......Stanley Adams</B></div> <div> <B>Dr. O'Brien.......Jordan Rhodes</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Critique: It's a nice side show to see how ill disposed everyone is toward Kolhak. The film was made for TV and thus the cuts are geared to leave you on the edge of the seat, which indeed they do. Here, however, without commercials, the cuts seem a bit odd. There are other evidences of its being a TV movie--the scenes with the girlfried Gail, played by Carol Lynley are a bit slow and do not add much. That's about all the nit-pickers could find wrong in this, possibly the best vampire movie ever made. Darin McGavin is perfect as the intrepid big city reporter risking it all for another shot at the bigtime, should it cost him his life. The scene in the vampire's house is right out of a nightmare, and the battle scenes between the police and the vampire, like the chess game between the city authorities and the reporter about to set the city in panic are a treat. This, along with another little known "Nightstalker" movie, likewise outstanding, were the inspiration for the rather short-lived but exceptional TV series of the same name. A compelling argument for subtlety, given that this film really scares and entertains without sex, swears, and gore. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>* Blood * Violent * No Strong Language * No Sexual Situations *</B></div> <div> <B>* No Nudity * Not Gory *</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Plot Summary: Las Vegas. May 16-May 20. Cheryl Hughes, 23, 5'5'' had been waiting for a friend and decided to walk home through a sleazy area of town. She is tossed around. The coroner finds something he decides to hush up. Kolchak is given the assignment two days later. He hears only that she lost a lot of blood. He learns Cheryl had known karate--apparently it hadn't helped. Another girl, Bonnie Reynolds, is found in the middle of a dusty dried up cannal with no footprint in sight. A lot of blood lost in this case as well--but apparently not her. The editor is not pleased with the connection Kolchak is drawing in this case, and wants much more evidence before any story is printed. A new girl--swing shift--dies similarly. Kolchak thinks it's one or more tremendously strong guys. Kolchak wants to look into similar deaths and recent releases from insane asylums. Kolchak hears from his corroner-informant that a great deal of blood had recently been stolen from a blood bank. At a closed press meeting, it is reported the murders were swift, with wounds similar to those caused by a dog, and then some machine applied that suctioned the blood.  Human saliva was found on the wounds as well. One descirption is made of a tall, thin, dark haired man. Kolchak is still not allowed to report the story. Kolchak gets a report of anohter killing, and this time there's a witness--she describes the car he was in. Another victim has a doberman--who doesn't help much. Still no report--the claim is it's too likely to produce chaos. Kolchak pulls out "Everything you Always Wanted to Know about Vampires". Kolchak reads about the victims becoming vampires themselves. Kolchak herries to reports of a brawl at the hospital and watches a chase in which the vampire seems to have survived being hit by a huge number of bullets. Lano Scorzny, born 1899, had been a big night life guy. He had been a hematologist in England under the name Velasco. Still, the police refuse to accept that this is a vampire. Kochak hears over the police radio that Scorzny had been spotted. He is corner and a brawl ensues in which he struggles with a score of police and is fired on and clearly struck many times. Kolchak guesses he was shot thirty or forty times. In return for exclusive rights, Kolchak suggests that each man carry a cross and a stake and mallet. The police are still reluctant, and insist on following police procedures, but they agree to carry the implements. Kolchak is simply kicking up his heels as he leaves. A mole of his--one who has been looking into recent house sales, believes he has found Scorzny's house. Kolchak shows up to stake the place out. He finds hundreds of bottles of blood in a walk in refidgerator and a make-up kit. Tension rises as he creeps around the vampire's house. When he finds the coffin, he has a strong feeling that this is the place. He finds Jenny Forbes, one of the missing girls, tied up in the back, apparently acting as a private blood bank. As he unties her, he hears the vampire returning. He ties her back up and hopes the vampire won't notice any disturbance. Soon only the cross is keeping him from being torn to pieces. Just when things look bleak, the FBI guy comes to the rescue, but are thrown around like rag dolls--however, daylight has broken. Just when Kolchak has just about driven the stake in its heart, the police break in. He drops his story on the editor, Vinchenso. When he arrives at the police station, he is arrested for murder. Sheriff Butcher is the witness that he had murdered Scorzny--it's either that or print that it was a normal gun fight in which he was killed. He is forced to leave town. Kolchak is writing a book but admits that all the evidence has been destroyed.</B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>